Department of Justice Meets the Press

© Government Communication Department / Manuel Vitali

Accompanied by his Secretary-General, Ms Camille Quilico, and his Chief of Staff, Ms Julie Sirere, Mr Samuel Vuelta Simon, Secretary of State for Justice, invited local journalists on 2 October to a press conference – a first for the Department of Justice (DSJ).

The purpose of the meeting was to present the role of the Department of Justice, the public service department responsible for the management and organisation of justice in Monaco. “Justice is not administered behind closed doors and must be accountable to the community. My colleagues and I – a team of 30 in total – manage it so that members of the judiciary can work in full independence and ensure that it lives up to the mission entrusted to it by H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince,” explained Mr Vuelta Simon.

He went on to clarify: “Although I have the authority to do so, I never issue instructions to the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the merits of a case. However, I have, on occasion, requested greater speed in a particular matter – that is, to set priorities and thus define prosecutorial policy”. Indeed, like other Government Departments with which it works in close coordination, "the Department of Justice establishes public policy within its field of judicial expertise, modernising the administration of justice in Monaco and raising it every day to the highest international standards”.

Several draft laws are currently under consideration or being developed in conjunction with the Prince’s Government, including measures to strengthen the powers of the Public Prosecutor's Office in order to ease the workload of investigating judges, and to modernise the legal framework for lawyers, notaries and bailiffs. The Department’s teams also regularly engage with counterparts around the world to establish bilateral agreements and work actively with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in preparation for Monaco’s presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (May – November 2026). “It will be an excellent opportunity to showcase our work internationally.”

Mr Vuelta Simon also highlighted the progress achieved by Monaco’s justice system in implementing the action plan aimed at securing removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, in particular the recent creation of the Asset Management Office (SGA) and the Monegasque Institute for Training in the Legal Professions (IMFPJ).

“This structural modernisation of our justice system through the IMFPJ has already trained thousands of people in combating money laundering. The Institute has professionalised training in Monegasque law and is attracting young nationals eager to serve their country by joining the judiciary,” noted the Secretary of State for Justice. “Not to mention the launch of the Monaco Law Review, which aims to make justice more accessible to the wider public.”

Mr Vuelta Simon also announced the forthcoming arrival of seven additional members of the judiciary and the introduction, in the coming months, of the Judicial Reserve: “Intended to address certain vacant positions, it will be made up of retired Monegasque or French judges and prosecutors who will assist those currently in office”.